Apparatus for sealing containers

Abstract

A container sealing apparatus comprising a conveyor for transporting containers, a sealer for sealing an opening edge portion of each of the containers with a closure material supplied adjacent to the container during transport by the conveyor, and a trimmer for blanking out a closure from the closure material affixed to the container, along the edge portion, the trimmer having a lifter for lifting the container from a path of transport of the container, a holder having a support for supporting the edge portion of the container lifted by the lifter and a cutter clearance groove formed externally of the support, and a cutter movable upward and downward so as to bring a cutting edge thereof into and out of the groove.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus for sealing containers comprising: conveyor means for transporting the containers,   sealing means for sealing an opening edge portion of each of the containers with a closure material supplied adjacent to the container during transport by the conveyor means, and   trimming means for blanking out a closure from the closure material affixed to the container, along the container opening edge portion, the trimming means having a lifter for lifting the container from a path of transport of the container, a holder having a support for supporting the opening edge portion of the container lifted by the lifter and a cutter clearance groove formed externally of the support, and a cutter movable upward and downward so as to bring a cutting edge thereof into and out of the cutter clearance groove.   
     
     
       2. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the conveyor means comprises a pair of endless chains arranged at opposite sides of the path of transport, and a plurality of trays mounted on and provided between the two chains, each of the trays being formed with at least one container retaining hole. 
     
     
       3. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the sealing means has a sealing head movable upward and downward so as to press the closure material against the opening edge portion of the container lifted by the lifter, and the cutter is attached to the sealing head. 
     
     
       4. An apparatus as defined in claim 3 wherein the sealing head comprises a head lifting hydraulic cylinder disposed above the sealing station and directed vertically downward, an upper lift plate connected to a piston rod of the cylinder, a lower lift plate suspended from the upper lift plate by connecting rods and formed with a heater inserting hole, a press plate disposed at an intermediate level between the two lift plates and elastically suspended from the upper lift plate, a heater attached to the press plate in suspension and having a lower portion inserted through the heater inserting hole, and a closure material holder elastically suspended from the lower lift plate and surrounding the heater lower portion, and the cutter extends downward from an edge portion of the lower lift plate defining the heater inserting hole and has a cutting edge positioned between the heater and the closure material holder to project therebelow. 
     
     
       5. An apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein the holder comprises a pair of horizontal guide rods extending in parallel to the path of transport of the container, a pair of divided movable holder plates slidably supported by the guide rods, and means for moving the holder plates toward or away from each other, the holder plates being formed in opposed faces thereof with a cutout for forming a container retaining hole when the holder plates are joined together, the support and the cutter clearance groove being formed in the upper surfaces of the holder plates.